Photo of the Week

Steve Botham sent us this photo showing some of the wintering Whooper Swans (and resident Pochard duck) at Welney in Norfolk. Whooper swans generally flock together on the south coast of Iceland before making the big jump across to the UK. They prefer to spend the winter here because our lakes and rivers rarely freeze over. Estimates vary, but it's believed more than 10,000 Whooper Swans make the journey to the UK each year.

Scientific name: Cygnus olor

Size: Whoopers are about the same size as mute swans, around 150cm in length and up to 14kg in weight

Distribution: During the winter months Whooper Swans can be found throughout most of Scotland, Northern Ireland, mid to north Wales, northern England and parts of East Anglia

Months seen: Late September to April

Life Span: Can be up to 23 years, however many die before they are ten (source BTO)

Habitat: Usually found in damp grasslands, marshes, agricultural land, lakes and reservoirs

Food: Grass and other vegetation such as the roots of aquatic plants

Special features: Whooper swans have a yellow patch which extends along almost the full length of the bill. Bewick's Swans have a similar yellow patch but it does not extend so far down the bill. Whoopers tend to hold their necks much straighter than mute swans and they have a bugle-like call. Although most of the Whooper Swans arriving in the UK come from Iceland, they also breed right across Scandinavia and Russia.

hoggyhugs

Join date : 2012-03-06Posts : 6142

Subject: Re: Photo of the Week Sat Nov 23, 2013 4:47 pm

What a delightful photo, thank you for sharing hun. I love swans and ducks.